Project Summary The M-PDTC Pilot Projects and Trans-Network Activities Core will support the development of research projects using minority PDXs that will be made available via M-PDTC and other existing PDTC centers, to accelerate the development and transition of NCI investigational new drug (IND) agents into early phase clinical trials. The goals of the M-PDTC Pilot Projects and Trans-Network Activities Core are: 1) to solicit, select, support and evaluate innovative pilot projects within the M-PDTC to develop new technologies or explore novel drug development research related to the M-PDTC parent projects on cancers affecting racial/ethnic minorities; 2) to solicit, select, support and evaluate innovative pilot projects within the PDXNet to develop new technologies or explore novel drug development research related to the PDXNet parent projects; 3) to provide support to non- Network investigators chosen to participate in PDXNet by NCI; 4) to facilitate development and transition of these successful projects into competitive applications for peer-reviewed funding; 5) to interact with other M-PDTC and PDTCs in the development of trans-Network collaborative projects, with particular emphasis on cancers affecting racial/ethnic minorities, and to fund Trans-Network collaborative projects to enhance the impact of each Center and of the network; 6) to conduct other expected Trans-Network activities and collaborative non-Network projects; and 7) to maintain close interaction with the PDX Data Commons and Coordinating Center (PDCCC) in terms of sharing data regarding PDX demographic information, molecular characterization and response to agents, and jointly developing methods to analyze data. We have developed an approach to solicit applications for four awards of $50,000 dollars (during years 2-5) on an annual basis and review applications by a thoughtfully structured committee comprising key expertise in the M-PDTC, in consultation with the PDXNet Steering Committee. Two projects will be selected primarily from within the M-PDTC host institutions (including from non-PDXNet members) and two trans-network projects from PDXNet members (other M-PDTC and PDTCs). The latter will be specifically focused on development of models and methods of experimental validation and assessment of reproducibility assessments, establishment of statistical and/or computational methodologies for interpretation of the complex data generated from molecular characterization of PDX models and their responses to agents and agent combinations, and measurable differences between PDXs from various racial and ethnic population groups. Major criteria for review of applications will include innovation, significance, conceptual and scientific rigor, utilization of PDXs from racial/ethnic minorities, and the potential to further the goals of the M-PDTC. Thus, this Core will serve as an invaluable source of new ideas, and will foster the development of novel models, technologies, analytical methods, and other patient-derived models.